Amharic
- Foreign Service Institute Basic Amharic – Audio – Textbook
- Lessons with dialogues, drills, exercises, and narratives will teach you the basics of this language spoken in Ethiopia. Includes samples of speech, explanations of basic language structures, and a variety of practical exercises. Features two textbooks (PDF) and eleven audio lessons (MP3).
Arabic
- Arabic for Global Exchange – Web site
- From Carnegie Mellon, a mini-course for individuals with no proficiency or extremely limited knowledge of Arabic language and culture who are about to begin study or work in an Arabic-speaking context.
- Arabic Language Lessons - Web Site
- The US Peace Corps serves up 10 free lessons that will teach you the Arabic spoken in Jordan. The web site includes a useful transcript.
- Arabic for Beginners 1 – YouTube Free
- A series of video lessons from Dalarna University in Sweden.
- ArabicPod – iTunes Free
- Includes mp3s and PDF transcripts.
- Foreign Service Institute Written Arabic – Web site
- Spoken exercises in Arabic and the printed transcriptions. Four textbooks (PDF) and 31 audio lessons (MP3).
- Foreign Service Institute Levantine Arabic – Web site
- Introduction to pronunciation. Textbook (PDF) and 19 audio lessons (MP3). Scroll down to the second set of lessons on this page.
- Foreign Service Institute Saudi Arabic - Web site
- Covers the urban Hijazi dialect. Textbook (PDF) and 51 audio lessons (MP3). Scroll down to the third/bottom set of lessons on this page.
- Foreign Service Institute Comparative Arabic – Web site
- From Eastern to Western Arabic, and Levantine-Egyptian comparative study. Textbook (PDF).
- Survival Phrases Arabic – iTunes Free
- Provides the essentials you’ll need to get around.
Bookmark our free Arabic lessons section.
Bambara
- Bambara in Mali – Web Site
- Lessons from the Peace Corps.
Bulgarian
- Bulgarian Survival Phrases – iTunes Free – Feed
- Foreign Service Institute Bulgarian – Web site
- Two textbooks (PDF) and 75 audio lessons (MP3).
Cambodian
- Foreign Service Institute Basic Cambodian – Web site
- Two textbooks (PDF) and 45 audio lessons (MP3).
- Foreign Service Institute Contemporary Cambodian – Web site
- Textbook (PDF) and 60 audio lessons (MP3).
Catalan
- One Minute Catalan iTunes Free – Feed
- A good way to get going with a language still spoken by some 12 million people, many living in Northeast Spain.
Chinese
- Real Chinese - Web Site
- Presented by the BBC. A lively introduction to Mandarin Chinese in 10 short parts with video clips from the Real Chinese TV series.
- Beginner’s Chinese – iTunes Free
- Introductory audio lessons provided by the Open University.
- Chinese Course – Seton Hall
- Beginning Chinese – Free iTunes Audio – Seton Hall
- Beginning Chinese Reader – Free iTunes Audio – Seton Hall
- Intermediate Chinese – Free iTunes Audio – Seton Hall
- Intermediate Chinese Reader – Free iTunes Audio – Seton Hall
- Advanced Chinese – Free iTunes Audio – Seton Hall
- Advanced Chinese Reader – Free iTunes Audio – Seton Hall
- Chinese Basic – Web
- A web-application developed by the University of Cambridge Language Centre for basic level students of Chinese. It focuses on listening and reading skill but it also includes many activities that help learners prepare for speaking and writing. Note that you can also download Intermediate Chinese here.
- Chinese Learn Online – iTunes Free – Feed
- A dialogue-based introduction to Mandarin Chinese. Load the lessons on your mp3 player and get up the Chinese curve.
- Chinese Lessons with Serge Melnyk – iTunes Free -Feed
- Weekly lessons in Mandarin that get very strong reviews from iTunes users..
- Chinesepod.com iTunes Free – Feed
- A series of well-reviewed lessons that will let you learn Mandarin on your own terms.
- CSLPod – iTunes Free -Feed
- Here, native Mandarin speakers teach you Chinese as a second language. Audio and transcripts are available on the website. The lessons also place an emphasis on understanding Chinese culture.
- Foreign Service Institute Basic Cantonese – Web site
- Two textbooks (PDF) and 30 audio lessons (MP3).
- Foreign Service Institute Standard Chinese: A Modular Approach – Web site
- Designed to give a practical command of spoken standard Chinese with nine situational modules. Each module consists of tapes (MP3), a student textbook (PDF), and a workbook. In addition to the core modules, there is a resource module and eight optional modules.
- iMandarinPod.com – iTunes Free
- This series of lessons teaches Chinese by talking about Chinese culture or what is happening today in China. More advanced than others.
- Mandarin Chinese Characters – iTunes Free
- Created by Emory University, this series of video lessons will help you draw several characters and numbers.
- Mandarin in China – Web Site
- Lessons courtesy of the US Peace Corps
- Numbers and Radicals – iTunes Free
- Emory University teaches you the proper form for writing numbers and radicals. In Video.
- One Minute Mandarin – iTunes Free – Feed
- A quick way to cover the very basics…
- Popup Chinese – iTunes Free – Feed
- Offers lessons for beginners and also students at intermediate and advanced levels. In addition to language lessons, Popup Chinese provides annotated short stories, HSK test prep materials and a variety of speaking and listening exercises. They broadcast out of Beijing, and all voice actors speak the standard northern dialect.
- Slow Chinese – iTunes Free
- A cultural podcast for Chinese learners. Features narratives by native Chinese people read in Mandarin at a slow speed (2~3 characters per second). Topics vary from language, knowledge, tradition and culture to opinions on social phenomena.
- Survival Chinese – iTunes Free – Feed
- Learn the phrases you need to get by while traveling in China.
- World Learner Chinese – iTunes Free – Feed
- Another in the mix of possibilities.
Czech
- Foreign Service Institute Czech Fast – Web site
- Textbook (PDF) and twelve audio lessons (PDF).
Danish
- Dare to Danish iTunes Free
- This is not your usual series of language lessons. Here, a “dirty Dane” teaches you “stupid phrases and more.”
- Duolingo Danish (for English Speakers) – Web Site
- A popular free language-learning and crowdsourced text translation platform. As users progress through lessons, they simultaneously help to translate websites and other documents.
- One Minute Danish iTunes Free – Feed
- We get a lot of requests (believe it or not) for Danish. So here’s another useful primer created by the One Minute series.
Dutch
- Duolingo Dutch (for English Speakers) – Web Site
- A popular free language-learning and crowdsourced text translation platform. As users progress through lessons, they simultaneously help to translate websites and other documents.
- Laura Speaks Dutch – iTunes Free
- Lessons that will help you travel to Holland. It’s worth checking out the accompanying web site.
- Learn Dutch – iTunes Free
- Culturally relevant lessons that are easy to listen to.
English
- Connect with English - Web
- Featuring the story of Rebecca, an aspiring singer on a journey across America, Connect With English offers 50 fifteen-minute video programs that will teach English as a second language to high school students, college students and adult learners. Produced by WGBH Boston.
- The English We Speak - iTunes Free – Web Site – RSS
- Each week, the BBC looks at phrases used in the English language.
- American English Speech - Web
- The OLI American English Dialect course from Carnegie Mellon supplies the necessary reinforcement of dialectical structure, audio, production technique and phonetic representation for each sound.
- 6 Minute English – iTunes Free – Downloads – Web Site – RSS
- Learn and practice useful English with the BBC.
- Better @ English – iTunes Free – Feed
- Focuses on conversational English, with an emphasis on idioms and slang.
- Business English – iTunes Free – RSS
- Learn the English you will need to function effectively in an American business environment.
- Effortless English – iTunes Free – Feed
- It gets solid reviews.
- English as a Second Language – iTunes Free
- Free Lessons from HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College.
- English as a Second Language – iTunes Free – Feed – Web Site
- A very well liked collection of ESL lessons. Over 100 episodes in the collection.
- English in the Real World - iTunes Free
- The focus here is on the business world and things financial.
- English for Spanish Speakers (’Por Fin Aprende Ingles’) – iTunes Free – Feed
- Si usted haya asistido al menos a un curso de ingles, y usted necesita la oportunidad de escuchar al ingles y hablar el ingles, entonces ‘Por Fin Aprende Ingles’ es el podcast perfecto para usted. Presentado por Carla Staufert-Sauvier, una profesora de Mexico, y Jade Lindquist, una profesora de los EE UU.
- ESL Business News – iTunes Free – Feed – Web Site
- A weekly wrap of international business news read in slow, clear English. Listen to the broadcast and follow along in the accompanying script.
- Film English – Web
- Site promotes the innovative and creative use of film in language learning. All of the lesson plans revolve around the use of video and film to teach English. Recently won a British Council ELTons awards for Innovation in Teacher Resources.
- Grammar Girl – iTunes Free – Feed – Web Site
- Grammar Girl provides short, friendly tips to improve your writing. Whether English is your first language or your second language, these grammar, punctuation, style, and business tips will make you a better and more successful writer.
- Speaking English – iTunes Free – Feed – Web Site
- 100+ lessons focusing on English pronunciation and vocabulary.
- Tu Ingles! - iTunes Free – Feed – Web Site
- “Tu Ingles” is designed to help Spanish-speakers improve their ear for English. The weekly program features drills of verb conjugation, interviews, advice about idioms, and excerpts of speeches and other recorded spoken material from famous English speakers.
- Bookmark our free English lessons section.
- http://www.openculture.com/freelanguagelessons